WH40K: Flame Weapons
'Flame Weapons' As the name suggests these weapons operate by firing gouts of flame at the target, not only an effective means of smiting the enemy but also serving as a very visual reminder of the cleansing flames brought forth in the Emperor’s name. As such they are a favored weapon among the zealots of the Imperial Creed, as well as many fringe cults and gangs to be found in Imperial space. Flame weapons use a fuel generically referred to as promethium, though it can also be homemade concoctions or other chemical brews depending on the local technology level. Most are a mono-propellant fuel which ignites via a smaller pilot flame at the tip of the barrel, though some flamers use binary hypergolic fuels. Once produced, the intense jet that spurts from the barrel creates a torrent of liquid fire, which spreads out in an inferno that burns even underwater, leaving enemies hard pressed to put out the fire. Armor Penetration: Reflects how good the weapon is at cutting through armor. When a shot or blow from this weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armor by the weapon’s Armor Penetration, with results of less than 0 counting as 0 (i.e., the armor provides no protection at all). Then calculate Damage as normal. For example, if a weapon with an Armor Penetration of 1D hits a target with 2D Armor, the target will only count as having 1D Armor against any Damage the hit causes. Note that Armor Penetration has no effect on energy shields, but it does affect cover. 'Flamer' The flamer or flame gun comes in a wide variety of designs and patterns, but all are ideal for flushing out enemies in cover and putting groups of foes to the torch. The two most common variants of flamers either have a detachable fuel canister under the barrel or a hose connecting to a backpack canister. A flamer can have a backpack fuel canister instead of a detachable clip. The backpack canister must be worn on the user’s back, doubles the flamer’s clip size, and adds 10 kg to the weight. The Availability remains unchanged. 'Hand Flamer' Flame pistols or hand flamers are miniaturized versions of the larger flamer. Small enough to carry in one hand, these weapons are favored by assault troops which can fire them once or twice as they close with the enemy. 'Heavy Flamer' The heavy flamer is a larger and more cumbersome version of the flamer. It is often mounted on vehicles, though it is just reasonable enough in size to be carried by an individual trooper. Any lack of accuracy is more than offset by the wide gout of burning promethium that is almost impossible to dodge. Heavy flamers must be fueled by backpack fuel canisters—the weight is already part of the weapon profile, but again, the canister must be worn on the user’s back. 'Legion Flame Weapons' The Traitor Legions are able to carry larger-bore flame weapons with greater fuel reserves. These weapons can spit out more promethium at a time, and thus deal more Damage. 'Astartes Flamer' The flamer is an ideal weapon for flushing out enemies in cover and cleansing areas with purifying flame. The typical Adeptus Astartes model accepts fuel through a pressure seal that can attach to a backpack feed for longer uninterrupted usage or a smaller canister for quick refueling in bursts. 'Astartes Hand Flamer' This hand-held flamer is still capable of unleashing large blasts of flame, but is good for only a few shots before the fuel canister must be switched out. 'Astartes Heavy Flamer' While the size and weight of heavy flamers makes them an unpopular choice among many Imperial forces, these are hardly deterrents to a Space Marine in power armor. Terminator squads and many vehicles make frequent use of the large saturation area of heavy flamers. The twin nozzles produce huge gouts of fire, enough to purge the densest terrain of xenos. 'Inferno Cannon' Specifically designed as part of the Hellhound Flame Tank, the inferno cannon has a limited number of other uses within the Tactica Imperialis. These enormous flamers send huge gouts of white hot flames over an extended portion of the battlefield. Their accelerated pumping mechanisms grant the turreted weapons the abilities to shoot massive jets of destruction at a range that drastically exceeds that of a traditional flamer. Because of this, when calculating the weapon’s spray area, the cannon’s wielder may choose to begin the spray at a point up to half the weapon’s range away from the firing point. The inferno cannon draws fuel from a large storage tank, and can’t be easily reloaded on the battlefield. Reloading one requires at least thirty minutes at a properly equipped facility. 'Hand Flamer (Mezoa)' Flame pistols or hand flamers are small and good for only several shots, being designed for personal combat at close ranges. Each uses a canister mounted under the small barrel, making it a somewhat difficult to aim due to the heavy propellant case. Luckily the short ranged spray of flame it produces is enough to deal with most enemies. 'Flamer (Mezoa)' The flamer or flame gun is ideal for flushing out enemies in cover and cleansing areas with purifying flame. Many armsmen and pirates favor heavier Mezoa versions copied by heretek armorers in the Expanse. This version has a weapon mounted canister as it allows for faster refueling and easier use while wearing a void suit if needed. 'Heavy Flamer (Locke)' Heavy flamers are large and cumbersome, normally only used on vehicles, power armored users or teams of troopers. Like the basic flamer pattern, Locke Heavy Flamers use heavy tanks carried on a backpack (which also helps ensure they are not in the direct line of incoming shells). The twin nozzles produce huge gouts of fire, enough to purge the densest terrain of xeno taint. 'Sources' *Black Crusade - Core Rulebook (pages 155; 158-159) *Dark Heresy - Core Rulebook (pages 131; 134-135) *Deathwatch - Core Rulebook (pages 145; 148-149) *Only War - Core Rulebook (pages 175; 180-181) *Rogue Trader - Core Rulebook (pages 118; 123-124) *Warhammer 40k Wiki: Flamer Weapons *thedemonapostle